What reading level is The black stallion and Flame?

The black stallion and Flame by Walter Farley is at a Level 6-7 reading level (Lexile 920L). Recommended for Middle Grades readers (Ages 9-12).

What age is The black stallion and Flame appropriate for?

The black stallion and Flame is recommended for Ages 9-12. HootRating: 11LE (Light — Emotional).

What genre is The black stallion and Flame?

The black stallion and Flame is fiction — Juvenile Fiction.

Does The black stallion and Flame have any content warnings?

The black stallion and Flame has a HootRating of 11LE (Light — Emotional). No specific content flags noted. On HootRated, every book is rated across four dimensions — emotional, physical, social, and thematic — to help parents make informed choices.

How many pages is The black stallion and Flame?

The black stallion and Flame by Walter Farley is 165 pages.

Reviewed by HootRated editorial · Last updated June 9, 2026

The black stallion and Flame

Walter Farley

The black stallion and Flame

Age Rating, Reading Level & Content Guide

by Walter Farley

Reading Level 6-7 11LE Ages 9-12 Balanced Read

The text is written at a 6th grade reading level, the subject matter is intended for middle graders (ages 9–12), and the content is mild with minimal sensitive material.

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About This Book

Here’s a secret: the Black stallion has landed on a mysterious island where another powerful stallion named Flame rules. They’re the only two kings of this wild place, but before they can battle, something even more dangerous appears. What happens next could change everything, but that’s only the beginning.

Themes

AdventureAnimalsFriendship Survival

Quick Assessment

This middle-grade fiction explores themes of friendship, rivalry, and survival through the story of two wild stallions stranded on a remote island. Suitable for readers ages 9-12, it features mild peril and animal conflict without graphic content. Parents can expect an engaging adventure centered on nature and animal behavior.

Why we rated The black stallion and Flame 11LE

The black stallion and Flame is written at a Level 6-7 reading level with a Lexile measure of 920L across 165 pages. Strong independent readers around grade 7.5 can typically handle this book on their own; with parent or teacher support, The black stallion and Flame works for readers up to grade 8.5.

We rate The black stallion and Flame as 11LE ("Light — Emotional") because the content sits in the "Mild" range — mild conflict — the kind a child encounters in normal play and sibling life. Across our four dimensions (emotional, physical, social, thematic) the book reads as evenly mild; no single dimension stands out as a concern.

No specific content flags were raised by community reviewers, which is consistent with the mild intensity score.

Thematically, The black stallion and Flame explores adventure, animals, friendship, and survival — these threads give the book room to mean different things to different readers.

Good fit for

✓ Children in the Ages 9-12 range — the maturity and attention span match the story's pacing.
✓ Patient readers who enjoy slower, character-driven stories.
✓ Kids drawn to stories about adventure, animals, friendship.

Maybe not for

! Readers whose emotional readiness lags behind their decoding skills — this book's intensity outruns its reading level, a classic "gifted kid" mismatch.
! Reluctant readers who need a fast hook — the pacing here rewards patience.